When It Falls
by Azreael
Summary: Round, round, round it goes. Never stopping, it never slows. Will it fall? Know one knows. AU to another story i wrote, when it doesn't fall does not have to be read first . Full summary inside. Rated T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

So this is an AU to another fic i wrote, when it doesn't fall. You don't have to read the other one to understand this one just this one is how my other fic could have gone differently. The OCs are going to be the same.

Summary: When the team wakes up on the plane after successfully completing inception Cobb and Saito are stuck in Limbo. Everything is not as it seems and Arthur, Ariadne, and Eames must figure out why. Also they have to figure out where Cobb and Saito's bodies have gone and why Yusuf just disappeared in thin air, literally.

This is completely un beta-ed so all mistakes are mine. Please don't hesitate to point out any that i have made

Disclaimer: I don't own Inception or any of it's wonderful characters

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><p>Round, round, round it goes. Never stopping, it never slows. Will it fall? Know one knows.<p>

****Inception****

She blinks. It takes her a few seconds to realize where she is. She is in a plane on the way to the United States. The team just successfully completed inception. But there were complications. She looks at her team member's faces. There is nothing happy there, so she knows what she is going to see next. In the chair, He is still asleep. Cobb is stuck in Limbo.

Her heart sinks. It takes her a few seconds, minutes, hours, she doesn't know how long, to let this fully sink in. Cobb didn't make it. She has felt nothing worse than this in her life. The silence was heart breaking. It needed to end. This just couldn't be possible. This can't be real, but her totem told her it was.

"We have to clean everything up," Arthur's voice cracked. Ariadne could see the salty tears glistening in Arthur's eyes that he was battling to control, and losing.

No one responded. Ariadne wasn't sure yet that she could talk. Yusuf just looked away. He didn't have the same ties as the rest of them, he was just the chemist. Eames, well Eames being Eames, was drinking, a lot. The bottle of vodka that was full just minutes before is now almost empty. Fischer is still sedated and will be for the next hour. Two hours until they reach their destination, Los Angeles.

Ariadne found her voice, "He could still come back. He stayed in Limbo to find Saito. Maybe he is still looking for him, or they could be together and come back to us any second." She was bordering hysterical.

"Ariadne," soothed Arthur, in the softest voice in could manage considering the circumstances, "We have to prepare ourselves for the fact that they aren't going to come back. We don't know how fast time in moving down there for them. They could both be ninety right now. If they ever wake up, they wont even know what where they are, why they are here, how they are here, most likely even who they are.

"I don't think they are going to come back. Now we have to prepare to cover our tracks."

Ariadne chocked back a sob. How could this be happening? Cobb wasn't going to get lost. Why aren't they going to get Cobb back? Why the hell isn't Eames doing anything besides drinking? She couldn't take this anymore.

She got up and walked up to Eames, ripped the vodka bottle out of his hands, and slapped him across the cheek. "What the hell are you doing? We could be going back down there to save them and you are drinking? After everything that has happened, everything that we went through, you just give up?" she yelled, tears spilling down her cheeks.

He snatched the bottle out of her hands. "It doesn't work that way darling," Eames responded, slightly slurring his words, "You may have been his prize student but me and Artie old boy have been in this business for a while. That just isn't the way it works. When something goes wrong, you cover your tracks and move on. If we didn't, we wouldn't be alive." He leaned back and continued to sip from the bottle.

She whipped around to face Arthur, "He is right Ariadne." He told her, but not quite as rough as Eames, "Cobb and me have been friends for a while but once you are in this business, there is no getting out, it hardens you. I will make sure his body gets back to Miles. I will make sure you are safe though."

She slumped back into her chair and stared out the window. All of this had been for nothing. The danger that they put themselves through is all for nothing. Cobb is gone and Saito with him. He will never see his children again. Fischer will break up his company but for what? So he can be a man that he wasn't destined to be? This isn't right. This isn't how it is supposed to be.

She curled up into a ball and watched the sky fly by, the clouds change, and the sun rise. Time doesn't stop and it doesn't go backwards, no matter how much you wish it would. Now she would wait. Arthur and Eames will deal with Cobb, Fischer will wake up, and they will all continue on with their lives like none of this happened. How could she possibly go back to university and pretend like none of this happened, like the impossible can't be created. She will have Miles but he left dream sharing a long time ago and never joined the business of dream sharing. He won't understand.

You would think being you wouldn't be tired after dreaming for ten hours but it is the wrong type of sleep. Ariadne feels the most worn out she has in her life. No matter how much she doesn't want to, she falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

****Inception****

She is woken from her deep sleep by the flight attendant. "We will be landing in Los Angeles in 25 minutes. Would you care for a hot towel?" She shakes her head, "Do you need immigration papers miss?"

Ariadne takes the papers wordlessly and places them next to her. She has no need for them. The team already worked all of this out before they left. She is set to stay in a posh hotel, that she would never be able to afford under normal circumstances. Arthur will be staying in the same hotel as her to make sure that she is safe but she isn't allowed to contact him. If she sees him, she will have to pretend that he is a complete stranger, that they have shared nothing. Her heart twangs at the memory of the kiss they shared in the second level of the dream.

She looked around her. Eames was also being woken up by the stewardess in the same way she had been. She stifled a cross between a laugh and a sob. He groggily looked around and groaned and covered his eyes as he looked into the sun.

She glanced over at Arthur. He was busily typing on his laptop. When he saw her looking at him he gave her an odd gaze then went back to his work. Strangers, right.

Yusuf was still looking out the window, casually drinking another glass of wine. That man could always get lost in thought. He is probably thinking up a new dream compound. Work never stops and neither will she.

The voice of the captain came on the speakers, "Please fasten your seatbelts and place your seats in the upright position. We will begin our decent into Los Angeles very shortly. Thank you for flying with us and on behalf of all of us we hope you had a wonderful trip."

She brought her chair back up and adjusted her seatbelt. She can only imagine how she must look, tired and bleary-eyed. Her hair must be a mess. She must be a sight. Certainly not how a first class passenger was expected to look.

She ignored the glare she was getting from the stewardess and pulled her brush from her bag to attempt to sooth the knots out of her brown silky hair. It was no use. She quickly tied it up and brushed her bangs behind her ear.

Cobb and Saito are gone from their seats. She assumed that anyone who didn't know who they were wouldn't even remember that they were there.

She entertains her self with the cars on the freeway. They were so small and it looked like none of them were moving. She laughed. Arthur gave her a look. She ignored it.

When they landed, the second the seatbelt light turned off she bolted. She was the first one off the plane. She practically ran to customs. Lucky for her there was no line yet. Once she got through she fidgeted impatiently, waiting for her bag. She was about to reach for it when a strong pair of male arms grabbed it for her.

"I do believe this is your miss?" a deep British accent asked her.

She turned around to face the forger, "Thank you," she responded, meaning much more than just for her bag.

She knew he knew what she meant with that smile on his face. He held out hi hand. "I don't believe we have met. Eames, nice to meet you."

She took his hand and shook it. "Ariadne, and like wise."

Ariadne was still angry with him but it had subsided greatly. She had realized that even though she must go on with her life like none of this happened and Cobb didn't make it, she will always carry the memories of these last few months with her, and maybe that could be enough.

When she pulled her hand back there was something that wasn't there before, a small slip of paper. She stuffed her hands in her pockets, letting the paper fall in.

He flashed her that familiar toothy grin, "Well I would hate to keep such a wonderful lady. How long are you going to be here?"

"Just for the weekend." She said easily, but of course he already knew that.

"Well maybe I will see you around." He winked, grabbed his bag, and sauntered in the other direction. She watched him go until he was out of sight. Despite hid words she knew that this was going to be the last time she saw him. She was allowed on last look, right?

Ariadne shook her head, shaking away all thoughts of Eames. She grabbed her bag and walk towards the exit. The piece of paper sitting like a rock in her pocket will just have to wait.

When she walked out she quickly got into a cab. It was about to leave when the other passenger door opened and a man in a suit slid in.

"Sorry I thought it was free." He told her, using the same line that Eames had used on Fischer in the dream.

"Not a problem. We can share. Where are you going?" she asked him, taking the lead in the conversation that was not supposed to be happening. What is Arthur up to?

"The Fairmont Miramar Hotel. If that is too far away I can always grab another cab." He flashed her his bright white teeth.

"That is funny," she didn't have to fake the smile on her face. This whole conversation was crazy. "That is where I am heading too."

"How funny, I couldn't have picked a better cab."

"We can split the fare?" She didn't need to split the fare. She now had more than enough money to take a cab across the country and back, multiple times.

"No need. I have it covered." She had no doubt about that. He probably had enough money to fund a small country.

That ended the conversation for the cab ride. While he was busy typing something on his computer she took the time to pull out the piece of paper that Eames slipped her. It turned out to be a full piece of paper. Wow he knew how to fold a piece of paper. Cobb was right; he really did have messy handwriting. She continued to read:

_Ariadne,_

_I know you are probably reading this in a cab on the way to your hotel. If I am right again Arthur is in the cab with you. The inception may have been successful but there is someone else here. We are confident that it isn't the people who were after Arthur and Cobb but it is dangerous. If I assumer correctly Arthur will be keeping a close eye on you and you will be keeping in contact with him. I wasn't lying when I said I might see you around. There is something bad going on here and I will meet up with you guys later. Arthur might try to keep this from you to protect you but it is safer if you know. Make sure he takes care of you. Good luck. Call me if there is a problem._

_Eames_

_P.S Burn this._

Bellow there was a phone number. She burned it into her mind before folding the paper back up and stuffing it back into her pocket. Arthur gave her a confused look but she ignored him. She would find out more when they get to the hotel. If Eames was slipping her notes than there was obviously something going on that she need to know about. She will make Arthur tell her later.

****Inception****

The trip to the hotel only took 20 minutes. The cabbie dropped them off on front of the hotel and Arthur paid. They awkwardly walked into the hotel in silence. Why did she suddenly have the urge to grab his free hand? The kiss in the dream meant nothing. It was only a distraction that didn't work. There was no way he felt anything for her. He probably had a girlfriend or even a wife waiting somewhere for him to come home.

He let her check in first, for obvious reasons. "What is the last name?" the woman behind the desk asked?

"Smith." They had all taken on new names for security reasons. She was Rose Smith. Where did Arthur get that name from? She doesn't look anything like a Rose. When she thinks Rose she thinks blonde.

The woman took a few seconds to type her name into the computer and get everything sorted. "You have one room reserved for one week?"

This was not the plan. She gave Arthur a look but he looked away, pretending to not be intently listening to the whole exchange.

"Yeah," she replied, slightly unsure of herself.

"Very good. It looks like you have already paid the fee in full?" Ariadne didn't know the answer. This must have been Arthur. The woman didn't notice her pause and continued on, "any other purchases made here at the hotel will just be charged."

"Okay."

The woman handed her an envelope. "Here is your room key. If you need anything don't hesitate to call down. I hope you enjoy your stay with us." Ariadne could tell by the plastic smile on her face that if she had a problem, she should deal with it herself.

She turned to Arthur and held out her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr.-"

"Jack. Just call me Jack." He took it and shook.

It seems the men of the inception team have a thing for hidden notes. When she pulled away there was yet another piece of paper in her hand. Like before she stuffed her hands in her pocket placing the piece of paper there.

She gave him one last smile before walking over to the elevators and pressing the up button. One of the elevator doors opened immediately. She spared one last glance at Arthur and saw that he was watching her. She quickly looked away and pressed her floor on the elevator. The doors closed a few seconds later.

On the ride up she fingered the piece of paper in her pocket. She wanted nothing more than to read it right this very second but she couldn't risk it.

When the doors finally opened on her floor she practically ran out. She found her room quickly and placed the key in the door. The light flashed green and she pushed the door open and slammed it closed behind her in the same second. She haphazardly dropped her bags around the room and flopped down onto the bed and ripped the letter out of her pocket. Arthur's handwriting was much better than Eames'.

_Dear Ariadne,_

_You must know something is wrong by now because I broke the no contact rule. I have already informed Eames of this matter and will soon inform you too. I will meet you in your room in an hour. If this is not okay put the do not disturb sign on your door and I will understand._

_Arthur_

_Destroy this._

She will have to figure out a way to burn both letters later.

She sees the do not disturb sign. She could get out of this right now. She can go on with her life and forget all of this happened. Forget the man who wanted so desperately to get back to his children. Forget that deep British accent that she has so quickly grown so accustomed to hearing everyday. Forget the tailored suits and stolen moments. Pretend that she has no idea what happened when the heir of a major energy corporation breaks up the whole company. Forget that she knew a man who would pay to destroy a whole company. Forget that the impossible cannot be created.

She throws the do not disturb sign into the bottom of the closet and closes the door.

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><p>Reviews would be very helpful :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey. Sorry this chapter wasn't up sooner but i was on vacation this past week and didn't get very much writing time. This chapter was somewhat rushed and completely unbeta-ed so all mistakes are mine. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inception or any of it's wonderful characters. **

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><p>The seconds turned into minutes. The minutes turned into an hour. Time was ticking away as fast as it took to pace the room over and over again. There was nothing productive to pass the time. The only thing that it seemed she was able to do was think too much about too much all at the same time. What the hell was going on?<p>

If there was one thing that she learned during her time with the point man was that he doesn't break rules (laws are another story completely), especially his own rules. Something must be seriously wrong, more than Cobb and Saito not waking up for him and Eames to be talking to her this soon. If only she could have gotten over her emotions and not run away like the little girl that she has been acting like. She could know what was going on right now. Maybe she wouldn't be left in the dark.

Arthur is the most careful, professional, person that she has ever met. Cobb wouldn't do something that would jeopardize his chances of getting back to his children. Eames, as reckless and careless as he may be wouldn't do anything that would get him hunted or on any one's watch list seeing that he does work in reality too. Yusuf wouldn't risk having his dream den being discovered. Why would Saito do anything? He was the one who ordered this job in the first place.

She stopped pacing, laid back on the bed, and sighed.

She bolted up, footsteps coming towards her room. She sat perfectly still, listening. They stopped on from of her room. She was on her feet before he could even knock. When he knocked she had to stop herself and get her heart rate down. It was dreadfully unprofessional and she couldn't look that desperate. Either way, something big was about to happen.

When she did throw the door open he was about to knock again. He looked somewhat surprised to see her standing in the doorway.

"Ummmm," he said awkwardly, "may I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, um, sure," she replied just as awkwardly, if not more. She moved out of the doorway so he could step in.

He shuffled in past her. She watched him for a few seconds before closing the door and following him in.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "So what is so important that you felt the need to talk to me?"

All previous awkwardness was gone. He immediately jumped into work mode.

"Some how someone found out about our inception. She was waking there at the airport for us. I could tell she wanted to be noticed. She is sending us a message but I am not sure what. I looked away for just a second and she was gone. Until we know what she is up to we have to be very careful

"Eames is going to meet us here in a few days after he takes care of some lingering business. Until then we are going to lay low and try to figure out what is going on." he stopped and took a deep breath. This was the first time Ariadne had ever seen him winded after talking for so long and she has seen him talk longer without a breath. Arthur knows exactly what is going on. He just won't tell her but she is going to find out.

"Who was coming after us?" she asked innocently.

"I don't know," he wouldn't meet her eyes, "We have all been so careful to cover our tracks I don't see how it could have gotten out unless there was a leak in our team which also is highly unlikely."

She had already thought of that. She ran through all of the reasons again in her head. None of them would say anything. She is going to get the information out of Arthur.

"I think you know exactly who is following us," she told him, "and I think Eames knows too. So why wont you tell me? You can't keep me in the dark forever Arthur!"

"Ariadne," he said in a soft voice, "you think you know who we are or what this business is about but you don't know anything. We have kept you sheltered. You only know what we showed you. There is a whole other world out there that you can't imagine. The truth about why we took this job, where Eames went, and why it is important that no one knows about this, you don't know anything!"

She is mad now. "Is this the same truth that you are all criminals and not just for breaking into people's minds and stealing their thoughts. That you all are killers? The reason that you took this job was so that Saito could pull strings so Cobb we be cleared of any suspicions of killing Mal. Or was it the fact that you and Cobb were being chased by Cobol and if you didn't take this job neither of you would likely be alive now? We have to stay hidden because people would literally kill to be able to have a team to perform inception and Eames is probably off killing someone as we speak. Are those the truths that you were talking about?"

She wasn't even near done or out of breath but she stopped to take in the dumbfounded look on Arthur's face.

"How did you-" he managed.

"You learn a lot when you put two insomniacs together at night with a dream machine."

"Cobb" Arthur said.

"Exactly. And I also know that you think I am going to go back to my old life but he knew that I couldn't. He was going to help me. I helped him."

"What could you have possibly helped him with? He doesn't let anyone help him unless it is to get what he wants. He isn't some god to idolize Ariadne! You need to wake up!" he exclaimed, now also raising his voice.

"Well then you obviously didn't know Cobb as well as you think you did." she told him. She walked away from him and walked over to the window. She looked down to the cars below, driving through their lives, completely oblivious to what else was out there. At this moment she almost wished that she was one of them, almost.

In reality she would never give dreaming up for anything else in the world. It was a drug that has you in it's clutches before you even use it. Just hearing about it and here is no escape from is claws.

"What could you possibly know?" he asked her in an accusatory tone.

"The shade." she told him, "he had a shade and it was haunting him to his death."

"What-" he started I asked but she didn't let him finish.

"Mal. He had a shade of Mal. She was haunting his dreams and his reality. He showed me and it was horrible Arthur. Probably more horrible than anything you have seen and it was killing him. I helped him get over it and he was going to help me in return."

"How exactly was he going to help you?" he asked.

She blushed a deep red that spread down to her neck. "He was going to help me stay in the business." They both new that that wasn't the only thing that Cobb was going help her with though neither of them said it.

They stood there awkwardly for a few second before moving on, both silently agreeing not to bring that up again.

He went right back into the argument. "You have no idea what I have seen or been through!"

"Oh really?" she challenged him, "then why don't you enlighten me as to who she is?"

"Who?" he asked faking innocence, though all of the blood left his face. She hit the bull's-eye.

"That woman that you were talking about." She crossed her arms over her chest. Arthur wasn't leaving until she knew everything that was going on.

"I didn't mention any woman." He defended feebly.

"Oh no you are not getting out of this one. 'She was waking there at the airport for us' and 'She is sending us a message'. Are you really going to tell me that there is no woman involved?" She knew she had him.

Any blood that Arthur had left left his body. He had slipped up and she noticed. She could tell that he obviously had not planned on telling her and now he had no other choice.

Ariadne softened her voice when she saw the reaction that the mention of the woman has on him. "What is her name?"

"Her name is Maria," he tells her in barely above a whisper.

"Why is it so crazy that she knows about this other than the fact that no one is supposed to know?" she asked.

"Maria is supposed to be dead. Mal killed her right on front of me."

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	3. AN  Chapter 3 Preview

So i really don't have an excuse to why i haven't updated this in almost four months other than i just had no motivation,

BUT GUESS WHAT? I have started the next chapter and it will be uploaded in the next few days. I have a preview for you but first a side note:

I know it isn't really clear right now that is is an AU to "When It Doesn't Fall" but it will become more apparent in later chapters because although the plot is obviously going to be different a lot of things will be very similar. The base of the similarities will be Maria and Gina. That is all i have to say right now about that and i will leaves the rest to your imagination.

As always you do not have to have read "When It Doesn't Fall" to understand this but in later chapters some of the plot and characters might make a little more sense but not necessary to understanding the plot or general enjoyment of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inception or any of its wonderful characters *sobs*

**Preview**: (non edited so some things may change)

"When you woke up from your nap on the plane what did you notice about Cobb and Saito?" He asked her, looking down at the briefcase he had placed on the desk and was in the process of emptying.

She thought back but it didn't take very long. The whole thing was at the forefront of her mind, the memory as fresh and detailed as the suit Arthur was wearing. "When I looked up they were both gone, none of their stuff was there either. It was almost like they had never been there in the first place. Why?"

"I was working on a way to get them off the plane on my computer and I looked up and they were both just gone." He sighed and ran his hands through his perfectly gelled back hair, "I looked down for just a few seconds and I looked up and they were both just gone. If anyone had come in to take them or tried moving them I would have noticed."

Ariadne walked to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This isn't your fault Arthur. I was asleep and Eames was probably too drunk to notice anything and Yusuf probably didn't even care. You can't place this all on yourself." she told him in the most soothing tone she could muster under the circumstances because like Arthur, she was disturbed by this.

"What about Eames?" Why was the forger not here for this conversation because this is obviously important?

"He is going to be back in a few days. I have a few ideas as who could be behind this and one of them involves a past employer of Cobb and I on a job we failed just before the inception. Eames is going to check it out."


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inception or any of its wonderful characters

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><p>She flopped down on the bed and sighed. It has been exactly 57 minutes since the point man slipped her the note in the hotel lobby. The wait had been antagonizing slow since then. The decision to let Arthur come and talk to her had been pretty obvious. She wasn't ready to leave the team or what she had spent the last few months on. She couldn't just forget dream sharing, especially not knowing what happens with Cobb and Saito. No, no matter what Arthur and Eames told her to do she would never forget this.<p>

Exactly 59 minutes from when Arthur handed her the note in the lobby there was a soft knock on her door. She bolted up from where she had been lying on the bed. She took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the door. She looked through the little peephole to make sure that it was Arthur. A sigh of relief fell from her lips when she saw that it was.

She unhooked the latch and opened the door to let him in. He quickly walked into the room and she shut and locked the door behind him.

"Well hello to you too" She told him, crossing her arms. From the look on his face she could tell that he was not in the mood to joke around, but neither was she. "What is this all about? I know you wouldn't break the rules unless it was really important."

"When you woke up from your nap on the plane what did you notice about Cobb and Saito?" He asked her, looking down at the briefcase he had placed on the desk and was in the process of emptying.

She thought back but it didn't take very long. The whole thing was at the forefront of her mind, the memory as fresh and detailed as the suit Arthur was wearing. "When I looked up they were both gone, none of their stuff was there either. It was almost like they had never been there in the first place. Why?"

"I was working on a way to get them off the plane on my computer and I looked up and they were both just gone." He sighed and ran his hands through his perfectly gelled back hair, "I looked down for just a few seconds and I looked up and they were both just gone. If anyone had come in to take them or tried moving them I would have noticed."

Ariadne walked to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder. "This isn't your fault Arthur. I was asleep and Eames was probably too drunk to notice anything and Yusuf probably didn't even care. You can't place this all on yourself," she told him in the most soothing tone she could muster under the circumstances because like Arthur, this disturbed her.

"What about Eames?" Why was the forger not here for this conversation because this is obviously important?

"He is going to be back tomorrow. I have a few ideas as who could be behind this. One of them involves a past employer of Cobb and I on a job we failed just before the inception. Eames is going to check it out." Arthur said, cold and calculating, voice empty of all emotions.

"So what do we do now?" Ariadne asked.

"Lay low for the rest of the day. Eames is already on another flight dealing with it. He should be back tomorrow afternoon." Arthur slumped down into the chair on front of the desk, "In the meantime we are going to work on self defense training just in case. Are you up for this?"

Ariadne didn't even have to think. "Count me in."

Deciding to stay and help wasn't really a hard decision at all. Arthur would chastise her for not thinking it through more but she wasn't ready to let this go.

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><p><strong>I am sorry that this chapter was so short and it took me so long to post it. I know what i want to do now and i wanted the next part to be its own chapter so i split it here. The next chapter will come a lot sooner as i have already started writing it. Thank you for sticking with me. Reviews would be greatly appreciated and help me make this story more enjoyable for you :)<strong>


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